Self-service footwear merchandising display unit



M. BERK Jan. 18, 1966 SELF-SERVICE FOOTWEAR MEHCHANDISING DISPLAY UNIT Filed July 17, 1964 (w m M 1 1 TRY ON YOUR SIZE HERE INVENTOR. MILTON BERK iHSM ATTORNEY sales.

United States Patent 3,229,819 SELF-SERVICE FOOTWEAR MERCHANDISING DISPLAY UNIT Milton Berk, 1655 NW. th Ave., Miami, Fla. Filed July 17, 1964, Ser. No. 383,400 9 Claims. (Cl. 211-s9 My invention relates to self-service merchandising devices, and is directed particularly to a self-service display unit for merchandising footwear.

Because of the necessity of fitting footwear to the foot size of the purchaser, it has heretofore been assumed in the trade that personal service, that is, waiting on the seated customer in a shoe store, is necessary for making Even in so-called self-service shoe stores, one or more salesmen are necessarily present to replace shoes on the shelves and assist in fitting. This personal service is not only time consuming, but also adds to the cost of shoes to the purchaser, and in the case of less expensive footwear such as thongs, sandals and the like, critically increases their sales cost.

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide a completely self-service footwear merchandising display unit that not only efficiently displays the footwear for ease of selection both as to size, style and color, but also provides a simple means by which the customer may quickly and conveniently determine his size and the appearance on his foot of the displayed footwear for making an instant selection.

Another object of my invention is to provide a selfservice display and stock storage unit of the character described that is compact and attractive, and thus particularly well suited for creating impulse sales in supermarkets, department stores, tourist attractions, and other places where there is high density traflic, and also in shoe, apparel and specialty shops, gift shops and other retail outlets.

A more particular object is to provide a self-service merchandising display unit of the character described that comprises an upright panel extending from the front of which are rows of hooks adapted to support and systematically display footwear of a full range of sizes, styles and colors;- and at the foot of which, beneath the displayed footwear, is a platform having fixed thereon, samples of the various sizes on display, conveniently placed for the purchaser to instantly'find the proper size by the try-on method, whereby a self-service selection of the proper size and color or style can instantly be made without the assistance of a sales person.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a self-service footwear merchandising display unit of the above nature that can be compactly shipped and stored in knockdown form, and which, once in use, requires little servicing other than to replace footwear sold.

Yet another object is to provide a footwear merchandising unit of the above nature wherein the footwear try-on platform can readily be removed for replacement when the display unit is set up for display and sale of a different style of footwear.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a self-service footwear merchandising unit embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view thereof, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

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Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates, generally, a preferred form of footwear merchandising display unit embodying my invention, the same comprising, generally, an upright display stand 11 having at its base a forwardly extending platform 12. The display stand 11 comprises an upright rectangular panel 13, preferably of a perforated hard board, commonly known as Peg-Board, secured along each side of which are forwardly extending side walls 14. A forwardly projecting canopy 15 is provided at the upper end of the panel 13, said canopy comprising a rectangular top panel 16, a short downwardly extending skirt 17 secured to the outer end of said top panel, and side closure members 18 secured at their inner ends against inner top portions of the side walls 14, and at their outer ends to the transverse ends of said skirt. A corner brace 19 is provided at the inside juncture of the upright panel 13 and the top panel 16. A fluorescent lighting fixture 20 is secured against the underside of the top panel 16 and adjacent the inner surface of the skirt 17 to provide overhead illumination for the displayed merchandise.

The platform 12 comprises a pair of outwardly extending side wall members 21 secured at their inner ends against inside surface portions of the side walls 14 at the lower ends thereof. A short front piece 21a is secured between the outer ends of the side wall members 21 and serves as a support for the front end of a platform board 22 that extends from side to side between said side wall members. The platform board 22 is slightly upwardly inclined from front to back, and terminates in abutment with the upright panel 13 whereat it is secured.

Means is provided for replaceably receiving a rectangular try-on shoe mounting panel 23 upon the platform board 22. To this end, a cross piece 24 is secured against the inside of the upright panel 13 and between inside portions of the side wall members 21, in spaced parallel relation to the inner marginal edge portion of the platform board 22. The cross-piece 24 defines, with the platform board 22, a rear groove 25 for receiving the .rear edge portion of the shoemounting panel 23. A piece of grooved, half-round molding 26 secured along the front marginal portion of the platform board 22 provides a front groove 27 for the shoe mounting panel 23.

The shoe mounting panel 23 is made of a flexible material such as linoleum, to permit sufficient bending to insert its inner and outer edges in the rear and front grooves 25 and 27, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Fixed upon the upper surface, as by cementing for example, are one each of the various sizes of footwear, indicated at 28, displayed for purchase on the display unit panel 13 as hereinbelow described. As illustrated 'in FIGS. 1 and 3, the shoes 28 are preferably arranged in a row of consecutively increasing size from left to right.

As is best illustrated in FIG. .3, an elongated, tubular ultra-violet ray germicidal lamp 29 is secured between the side wall members 21 in spaced relation above and slightly to the rear of the front ends of the try-on shoes 28, said lamp and the fluorescent lighting fixture 20 being wired (not illustrated) for connection to a source of electrical supply.

Means is provided for supporting and displaying footwear for self-service purchase on the inside of the rectangular panel 13. To this end, a plurality of outwardly projecting wire hooks 30 are arranged in columns on the panel 13 in register with each of the try-on shoes 28, the books of each column being equidistantly spaced, and in horizontal alignment with hooks of adjacent rows to provide a regular display pattern. The hooks 30 are formed at their inner ends with offset attachment means 31 adapted to fit into a pair of side-by-side adjacent perforations 32 in the peg-board panel 13, for removable atprominently marked with the shoe size.

shoes 28, need only glance up along the displayed column size, preferably with the most common'shoe sizes arranged in the vicinity of eye level.

While I have illustrated and described by invention for use in the self-service merchandising of thong type sandals, it will be understood that the invention lends'itself as well to the sale of other types and styles of shoes, particularly informal footwear of various style and fashion classes. In the interests of making the display unit more versitile with respect to changes in footwear style, I contemplate providing advertising side panels (not illustrated) supporting on the outside sample shoes of the type offered for sale in the display unit, and means, such as vertical guide channels, for removably receiving such side panels against the outer surfaces of the side walls 14 for ready change in accordance with changes in displayed footwear offered for sale.

It is also to be noted that the shoe mounting panel 23 with try-on shoes 28 mounted thereon has utility apart from the remainder of the merchandising unit, in that it can-be used for convenient and rapid self-service size determination in retail outlets not having the available space for the entire display and merchandising unit.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is given by Way of example only, and not in a limiting sense. My invention, in brief, comprises all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A self-service footwear merchandising display unit comprising, in combination, a platform member, a plurality of shoes of various sizes fixed upon said platform member for customer try-on to determine size, and means adapted to support pairs of shoes of the type and sizes of said plurality of shoes in close proximity to said platform member.

2. A self-service footwear merchandising display unit comprising, in combinaton, a platform member, a plurality of single shoes of various sizes fixed upon said 4 platform member for customer try-on to determine size, and means adapted to support pairs of shoes of the type and sizes of said plurality of shoes in columns and rows facing said platform member.

3. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said columns are vertically arranged above, and in alignment with, one .each of said plurality of single shoes.

4. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said shoe pairs supporting means comprises an upright panel member facing said platform member and including hook means for removably supporting shoe pairs.

5. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 3 wherein said shoe pairs supporting means comprises an upright panel member facing said platform member and including hook means for removably supporting shoe pairs.

6. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 5 including a support structure for said platform member, said platform member comprising a mounting panel, and means for removablysecuring said mounting panel in face-to-face relation upon said platform member.

7. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 6 wherein said plat-form member is of rectangular shape and wherein said mounting panel securing means comprises a pair of opposed parallel.

grooves in said support structure spaced by the width of said platform member,-and wherein said mounting panel is of a resilient material to permit bending for insertion of opposed edge portions thereof in said grooves.

8. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit as defined in claim 6 including radiant energy means for continuously sanitizing said shoes.

9. A self-service footwear merchandising and display unit comprising a fiat platform member, and a plurality of shoes of various sizes fixed upon said platform for customer try-on to determine size.

References Cited by the'Examiuer UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,523,780 1/1925 Jones 312-132 1,635,341 7/ 1927 Pfersdorf 36-8.4 1,922,786 8/1933 Thompson 2401 2,285,491 6/1942 Clark 211-36 2,802,576 8/1957 Kelling 21159 2,977,647 4/1961 Vassiliades 21122 3,070,339 12/1962 Schayer 248223 3,101,681 8/1963 Streater 108-28 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examin r.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SELF-SERVICE FOOTWEAR MERCHANDISING DISPLAY UNIT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PLATFORM MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF SHOES OF VARIOUS SIZES FIXED UPON SAID PLATFORM MEMBER FOR CUSTOMER TRY-ON TO DETERMINE SIZE, AND MEANS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT PAIRS OF SHOES OF THE TYPE AND SIZES OF SAID PLURALITY OF SHOES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID PLATFORM MEMBER. 